Secret Choices in Life
April 9, 2015
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There are only two choices
One is wisdom, one is folly
It’s a daily decision
It’s very simple
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This invitation
To choose the road you will take
You’re free to decide
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If you want to know just ask
Your Father’s glad to tell you
Is there anyone asking
You answer for you
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You can know which road
It is your freedom to choose
We all have been hurt
I’m no exception to this
We all get it in the neck
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There is a secret
To be found in both choices
They’re both inviting
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One will bring you understanding
Stolen water will taste sweet
Food that’s eaten in secret
Is so delicious
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This secret life leads to death
They don’t know the dead lay there
Folly’s guest will die quickly
And not remembered
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Understanding leads to life
Doing right adds to learning
Darkness of death is exposed
Years added to life
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Where do I begin
First, stand in awe of your God
Seek knowledge and good insight
God’s a real person
He knows my name and loves me
Even though I chose folly
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A promise I claim daily
God never forsakes those who seek
To know and find out the truth
About God and self
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Understanding comes
Love flourishes in secret
In stillness God comes
Embracing us in folly
Surprising us with real joy
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They’re no exceptions
In this world we will suffer
A reality
The world we build will shatter
The pressures are just too great
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Folly and wisdom
Which direction will you choose
You can medicate and die
Surrender and live
This love surpasses knowledge
Understanding will breathe life
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These reflections come after reading and meditating on Psalm 9 and Proverbs 9. I have a practice I do each day to tune my soul to the basic realities of life. I live my life in a day. “I number my days by one.” Bob Nelson I practice the basic fundamentals of soul each day like a musician practices his instruments. I practice seeking understanding above all else or I find my soul deceived by my own pride, lust and greed that sit in the secret places inviting me to choose to feed their hunger. This daily practice of stillness has lead me to the secret place of joy where I have been surprised with an intimate friendship of Presence that is not based on my feelings. It is based on discovering what is true about the world, self, God and real friendship. Folly taste good in the moment. It leads to death. Understanding will breathe life. It leads to Joy.
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Proverbs has been my Father. Psalms has been my mother over the last 54 years.
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Proverbs 9:6 “Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear (stand in reverent awe) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Psalm 9:10 “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Anguish Healed
January 25, 2015
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Overwhelmed with anguish
The pain and loss is so great
Does anyone understand
The devastation
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No friends to comfort
Loses of my dear love ones
Where is God who cares
Why is this happening now
Can anyone answer me
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The cry in the human soul
There are no easy answers
God promises to confide
In those who fear Him
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I cannot fathom
A God who lets this happen
Suffering and grief
What is it I am missing
Do I really want to know
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Truth hurts and it heals
The tragedy in my soul
Comes down to two things
I must face the truth about me
I must face the truth about God
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“Fear” does not mean “Be afraid”
It means I must face greatness
Of the love of God revealed
To my shattered soul
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The consequences
Of the choices I have made
I am destitute
The poverty in my soul
Is hidden from all to see
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The confusion inside me
With the unanswered questions
Were cleared up when I focused
On the love of God
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He promised to never leave
To meet me in my anguish
To forgive me of my wrongs
To renew and restore
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I will trust in Him
Gives victory over death
Carries my burdens
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Insight only comes
After one chooses to trust
The Giver of life
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May you be blessed by the Lord
Maker of heaven and earth
One who understands your need
Gave all to forgive
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These reflections will be enhanced by reading Psalm 25, 55, 85, 115 and 145. Sarah Young, an amazing therapist and teacher, offers insight to the anguished soul in her book “Jesus Calling.”
I Believe
January 21, 2015
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“I believe in
Christ,
like I believe
the
sun
not because
I can see it,
but by it
I can see
everything”
C. S. Lewis
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Understanding leads to life
Knowledge will help get you there
Seeking with all of your heart
Will let the light come
Proverbs 21:16
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I know what to seek
It is righteousness and love
It leads to prosperity
With life and honor
Relationships will flourish
Real friendships are developed
Proverbs 21:21
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The word righteousness is not self-righteousness but it is the commitment to the best interest of the other person and justice for all.The book of Proverbs has fathered me giving counsel and insight into love, money, sex and power.
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Victory will come
Accessing a private time
Wisdom will be discovered
In stillness I come
Waiting with expectation
For the healing light of love
Proverbs 21:31
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Path to Joy
January 15, 2015
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Knowledge is priority
A cheerful heart leads the way
Secret things will come
When love’s received
When I get over myself
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Understanding is the path
Your story and the others
To do this I must listen
Search for the wisdom
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Insight comes to those
Who seek it with all their heart
Who have the courage to ask
Move outside the box
Of religion and the world
I focused on a person
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I sought the counsel
Of those who know how to love
Know how to be still and hear
Not fix me but help
Point to possibilities
Give respect and room to think
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Their cheerful look brought me joy
Good news brought health to my bones
Friendship born in acceptance
With laughter and song
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I will pursue righteousness
I will hunger for the truth
I will make love my focus
For myself and God
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God teaches me how to love
Brings me freedom to be me
Enhances those around me
Surprises with joy
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My simple prayer to God is this.
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I want to please you
To bring joy and love to you
Be light in the world
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These reflections come after reading Psalm 45 and Proverbs 15.
You Are His Delight
January 7, 2015
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God searches the minds and hearts
Brings an end to violence
He makes the righteous secure
With forgiving love
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Trust in the Lord and do good
Delight yourself in the Lord
The desires of your heart come
As surely as breath
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Commit your way to the Lord
Trust in him and he will do this
His life will shine like the dawn
Break forth in your soul
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Be still before God
Wait patiently for guidance
Stop all the fretting
It leads only to evil
History tells us this truth
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Anger will kill you
The toxic part can destroy
Learn to channel it
By loving your enemy
The first place to start is you
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The meek inherit the land
Flourish in relationship
Look to the best interest
Of those closest to you
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The result will be peace
That passes understanding
So it is time to grow up
Be responsible
Stop blaming self and others
You hold the key to find life
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God will hold you up
I know this is true for sure
I have tasted this
By practicing His Presence
Walking in the light of love
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God delights in you
When you believe, wisdom comes
There is a future for you
His kindness and peace
Comes when you trust His love
Surrender all of the lies
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These reflections from Psalm 37 come from choosing how I will process this life. There are many views of life one can take. I chose to trust the God David spoke of in the Psalms. As a result I discovered an unshakable life filled with hope in the midst of the worst possible circumstances. Psalms has been like a mother to me over the last fifty years. The promises in this book I have found to be true, practical and life giving beyond words.
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My journey is told in the book “Delta Blues From Darkness to Light.” http://www.coachinglifematters.com/delta-blues.html
Choices
January 6, 2015
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We all make choices
Know we will fill up our time
This takes good thinking
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I love it I have the freedom to choose who will influence my mind the most.
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Early Morning Times
January 4, 2015
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My best questions come
In the early morning times
In quiet moments
I’m confronted with my life
My fears and anxieties
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I’m frightened sometimes by dreams
By realities of life
For others and for myself
My questions are hard
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What do I believe
I struggle with unbelief
About the world and the pain
How do I view me
And the big question is God
And the meaning of friendship
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I take the time to be still
To listen and contemplate
The puzzle of this journey
That involves my life
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In my early life
I learned to detach myself
To not feel the pain
My imagination flew
To a place where I felt safe
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I could settle down
With memories that were good
Of people who cared
Grandmothers and the neighbors
There was a secret comfort
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I found in the solitude
A forced abandonment pain
A feeling of helplessness
With no person there
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Solitary confinement
On the raft of shifting seas
With sharks all around
I was searching for answers
To understand and survive
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It was in this search
To find out who I can trust
I found a focus
Big enough to contain me
Give me perspective on my life
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No easy answers
But confidence I could find
The hidden love presented
By One I could trust
Who never failed to give love
To broken and lost children
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I am one of His
If I ask the question,”Why?”
I must ask then “Why not me?”
We all have a cross
His mysterious presence came
“Don’t be afraid, I’m with you”
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Reflections after reading Psalm 4, 34 and 64. Proverbs 4:7. I had no mother or father to guide my thinking or big enough to listen to the pain. I had no words to communicate. There was only silence and a simple prayer taught me. “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take.” There was a song I learned that I sang, “Jesus Loves Me” this I know. I chose as a child to hold onto this mysterious unseen love and to trust this unseen God. I grew up and learned his story and discovered there was One who was with me when I was unaware and the angels were attending. His love was there and looking back I can see. He brought me through it all with His angels attending. He will bring you through. In the midst of my unbelief I cry out confessing it and pray “Help my unbelief!
Best Friend Conversations
January 2, 2015
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Good conversation
Is a gift I want to have
With those I love most
I will include the stranger
And, also, my enemy
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Who will be my friend
I will be looking today
Ready to respond
Open to this adventure
Love with no expectations
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This I know is the hardest
For we wrong one another
Get offended easily
I know where to start
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I will start with me
The one I sleep with each night
This is the hardest
The one I offend a lot
I’m the one I hurt the most
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I found the secret
A way to forgive myself
To have a conversation
That’s gentle and kind
A way to love even me
In the darkness of my soul
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Ready for the ride
Mutual conversation
Is what I’m committed to
It’s the missing part
So I will not medicate
Keep doing the counterfeit
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I will like sleeping with myself
I have no choice about that
I will befriend my own soul
I’ll live in that joy
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I’ll take away the judgment
With real authenticity
I’ll train to forgive myself
And the one near me
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It is possible to live this. It is possible to overcome the darkness of the wounded soul and discover the joy. The impossible is possible when the deep soul decision is made to live and not die. Deciding to fight for my life is the most important decision I have made. I had to begin by caring about me. At that point I began to pay attention to my questions. Taking that responsibility has led me to discovering how to live in joy over the past fifty-three years. The pain, the reality of my own failure toward others and their failure to me is the most difficult road to navigate.
The best book I recommend to kick start this conversation was written by Jim Woodroof “Sayings that Saved My Sanity.” Write me and I will tell you how to get it. May all the best conversations take place for you in 2015. Your Story Matters http://www.yourstorymatters2him.com
Living In The Light
January 1, 2015
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Two important things
Knowledge and understanding
Will equal wisdom
Knowledge applied at right times
Will give power and freedom
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Waking up each day
Knowing a certain future
Anticipating real joy
Is a way to live
That is possible for all
Can be a daily practice
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Circumstances cannot rob
Take away this joy in me
It’s based on knowledge and wisdom
I”ll live in the light
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The world can hurt you
Sometimes it certainly will
I have found I have a choice
How I will respond
The power is in knowing this
Love is larger than all things
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Pride is within me
Along with lust and the greed
Basic things to all of us
There is an answer
To keep these from destroying
My soul, body and my mind
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The light in my soul
Will heal the wounded places
Received with great joy
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Happy New Year to those who choose to share this joy. I have chosen the word “light” to be my focus word this year. No resolutions just one word. This word brings clarity and understanding as I look into the heart of God through the light of His Son. May this be the best year of your life. One day at a time, walking after love, as revealed in the daily practice of interacting with the passion and compassionate heart of God, that is light to me. If you have chosen a word for the New Year, would you share that word with me in your reply? Thank you!
Worthless Idols
December 31, 2014
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The worthless idols
I can name them in my life
Easily deceive
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They led me down to the pit
My soul was trapped by these lies
Beliefs handed down to me
From generations
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It is good to name
The beliefs that will destroy
Turn from them as enemies
Their toxic darkness
Holds a person in prison
Until the light of love comes
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Moving to the light
Across the bridge of seeking
With an honest heart
Things that are true and noble
What is excellent and good
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The barriers rise
Awareness of the sickness
Awakened me to the problem
My soul was wounded
And needed the healing touch
Of the Master Physician
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Wound – Abandonment
The lie is I must fix it
In me and in the others
I sat with no hope
I turn away from idols
“Be good,” “Perform” and “Be Strong”
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Repent of the lies
Revoke them as enemies
Replace them with real truth
Truth that heals the soul
I’m a beloved son of God
Practicing living in the joy
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I have found a spacious place
In the morning when I rise
A friend to always greet me
Welcome me to hope
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These are reflections after meditating on Psalm 31. There is power in naming the enemies and becoming aware of the enemies that lie in the unconscious. With knowledge, stillness and reflecting on things true allows the Spirit to dismantle the powerful unconscious feelings that tell us we are not good enough. Name them, turn from them, revoke them and replace them with the truth “I AM BELOVED” each day. Joy comes in the day as we practice believing what is really true about us. This will lead us into a “spacious” place in our souls. All the best for a wonderful 2015.. Your Story Matters http://www.yourstorymatters2him.com
Leaning
January 22, 2014
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I’m leaning on you
In a world of unbelief
May we be like stars
That shine in the deep darkness
Beauty of your handiwork
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I choose where I look
A secret discovery
Comes when I focus
I’ve learned just one thing matters
I have been surprised by joy
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Be clear on one thing
Think it through with all you are
Your head, heart and gut
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Purge your imagination
Truth is what I must pursue
Relationships are dying
Therefore, I will seek real love
And I found it in one man
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He has ignited my soul
Refreshed me in solitude
Rekindled the fire in me
And guided my steps
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His Spirit awakens me
His loving kindness comforts
His presence surprises me
Radiant love comes
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Trouble will always be there
It’s the landscape of this world
It’s the reason God showed up
Became one of us
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He gave a way to follow
Those who practice discover
The way of love is narrow
And few will find it
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If you will practice these things
Recorded on that high hill
You’ll discover a new way
That’s certain and true
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Sermon on the Mount
These famous sayings practiced
Matthew five, six and seven
Will show you the way
They tell about the one thing
They will bring light to your path
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The book ,Famous Sayings of Jesus , by James Woodroof is the clearest writings of how practicing these teachings work out in real life. A.A. (Alcohol Anonymous) practices these all over the world and millions of lives and families have been saved because these teachings are being practiced.
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“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make at right and plain your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (Amp)
One Word Challenge
January 1, 2014
A teachable spirit comes
When you focus on one thing
That one thing will guide your ways
Be clear what that is~
What is the one thing
I know what it is for me
Bring it to one word
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Yes, boil it down to one word
It’s the window to my soul
Join me and come up with yours
I’ll encourage you
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No resolutions
Just one word to guide your heart
That will challenge your thinking
Inspire you to act
To do what is good and right
That will lead you to the joy
Last year my word was “action.” This year it is different. If you want to join me in this exercise, I would be delighted. You can share yours if you please. Happy New Year and all the best to you on your journey, my friends.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:4
My word for the year is “Presence.”
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Battles in the Secret Place
December 27, 2013
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“Our battles are won and lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world….Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point–a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest–our best for His glory.” Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest
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I’ll walk in the light
The first thing I’ll do is sit
In the secret place
One minute, ten or twenty
Alone contemplating love
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How I interpret the facts
Will determine directions
Wisdom is needed the most
We are subjective
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And who defines love
My lived experience speaks
That’s my decision
This is subjective, I know
One life captures my soul
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Some things are true regardless
The sun rising and setting
The seasons will come and go
Death is a sure thing
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Who speaks to the death
What about the injustice
I will make a decision
Consider the facts
Interpret them in some way
I’m responsible for that
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Your Story Matters 